Ill Met By Kryptonite
by Indigo Fire
Summary: EDIT: Retitled This this is a mainly Chloe fic. Chloe is a journalist in Gotham and runs into Clark in a chance meeting, a mystery unfolds.
1. Chapter One

Title: Ill Met By Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I don't own them; I just make their lives a living hell.

A/N: This story is extremely out of continuity with the show now, instead of me changing the story to fix the continuity I'm going to finish it as it is now and fix the plot holes. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

Chloe Sullivan sighed as she sat down at her desk, bringing the coffee to her lips she found a small respite from the hectic day. It had been almost five years since she moved to Gotham City, and another four years before that when she left Smallville. Smallville, she thought to herself, a place that had invoked many memories for her, both good and bad. Her thoughts drifted back to the faces of the people who had been her friends, one name came to the forefront of her mind: Clark Kent.

Clark had been the perpetual enigma, the one person who she couldn't completely figure out. That had probably been the main reason for them leaving on not so good terms, they had kept in touch during the first year of college but over time they had grown more distant. It hurt her, at one time Clark had been her best friend; and she had loved him. She had always wanted to just pick up the phone and say, "Hi Clark, it's me Chloe." She wouldn't, her pride was too hurt for her for to just pick up as if nothing had happened between them.

She sighed once more, now wasn't the time for her to be thinking about the past. Grabbing her bag, a pen and pad, and her digital recorder she quickly got up and made her way to the elevator. She was a journalist; it was her duty to give an account on what happens in the world. It was more than a job for her, it was her passion.

She stepped out of the main lobby of the Gotham Life, hailing a cab she relaxed in the back seat. "Wayne Enterprises, please."

The cab driver nodded his understanding, speeding off into traffic. Chloe swore under her breath, she hated how Gotham City cab drivers went about with reckless abandon. She promised herself that she would have to do an exposé when she finished her latest assignment. She sighed, something she found herself doing more often, she hated doing technology pieces. She had always been interested in the reasons behind how the world worked, the absolute truth. For her, covering huge multi-national conglomerates such as LexCorp and Wayne Enterprises bored her. She knew she would find this assignment a waste of time.

When she arrived at Wayne Enterprises she paid the cab driver and took a moment to see what other competition was there. She knew someone from the Daily Planet was bound to be there, wrinkling her nose at the possibility of seeing her cousin Lois Lane. She loved Lois dearly, but she had found that the two of them were too alike and would spend most of their time together arguing.

Her attention was diverted as the company spokesperson made her way to the podium. The woman had strawberry blond hair and a medium complexion, 'probably a bottle tan,' Chloe thought to herself. The woman was dressed conservatively in a blue business suit, very professional looking. She wore a warm smile as she greeted the associated press, in an even tone she began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, my name is Veronica Gleeson, Vice- President of Public Relations for Wayne Enterprises. It is my great privilege to welcome you here this afternoon, in just a few moments the CEO of the company, Mr. Bruce Wayne, will make a statement of great importance." She looked off to her right as Bruce Wayne made his way the stage. "And without any further ado, it is my pleasure to present to you, Mr. Bruce Wayne."

A wave of polite applause washed over him as he made his way to the podium, Chloe readied her recorder. Wayne wore his black hair combed back, dressed in a black suit and red tie. Wayne, in Chloe's mind, was a paradox, even in the most simplest of clothing he still managed to command the presence of the audience.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I will be brief in this statement, over twenty-five years ago a meteor shower pummeled a small town in Kansas. It is believed that these meteors were fragments of the planet Krypton, a planet well beyond our solar system. Over the last ten years STAR Labs in Metropolis has been a major player in the research of these fragments now known as Kryptonite.

"I can safely assume you are wondering what Wayne Enterprises has to do with any of this, this is the answer. Dr. Emil Hamilton, Chief Researcher for STAR Labs, has discovered that these fragments of the planet Krypton may be a new source for energy in the near future. So, in a joint venture Wayne Enterprises will be working with both LexCorp and STAR Labs to research a means of harnessing this new energy source. We will be informing members of the associated press with each new breakthrough and discovery. Are there any questions?"

At once one-hundred hands shot through the air, each trying to draw the attention to the young CEO. Wayne pointed a finger through the crowd to one person in particular, he was broad shouldered, his body looked as if he were made of angles. He wore a blue suit, ovular glasses covered his cobalt blue eyes, his jet black hair was combed neatly. On his head he wore a black fedora hat, homage to the journalist of the forties and fifties who swore to the unspoken code of journalistic integrity.

"Mr. Kent, I believe you have a question?"

Kent, she couldn't have heard right, she would have thought Clark would never go near another journalist, let alone become one himself. It must have been a mistake, Kent was a fairly common last name, it had to be another person. She had successfully reassured herself until he spoke.

"Yes, you said that the rocks were radioactive, wouldn't that be a danger to those who work with them? And if so, what safety precautions are you taking to insure the well being of your workers?"

The voice had deepened but it still had the innocent and good natured tone to it, the tone of a person who believe that everyone in the world was a decent human being. Then she knew it had to be him, the only person she could never completely understand, Clark Kent.

Bruce Wayne took a moment to answer his question, quickly shuffling through his set of note cards as if he had already prepared the answer in advance.

"Yes, I had expected such a question would be asked. Dr. Hamilton has done studies on the meteor rock, Kryptonite, and its effects. It appears, since the planet Krypton was a satellite to a red sun any effects on humans are none. Simply put, the Earth's yellow sun helps in creating the radioactive power source. For further information -"

Wayne was stopped abruptly as a shout from the back of the crowd made everyone turn toward the voice. He was an imposing man, anger and vehemence on his face, his eyes locked on Wayne as he shoved his way through the crowd. The people around him ducked for cover as he produced his weapon, a 9mm. semi-automatic. Leveling his weapon, a grim thin lipped smile traced his lips, "Now, Mr. Wayne, we'll put an end to your poisoning of our world. Die, you son of a bitch."

He pulled the trigger, the sound of the weapon being discharged cracking the air. No one noticed the fact that Wayne didn't flinch, let alone show any signs of fearing for his life. No one heard a groan of pain, nor did they hear the thud of a body hitting the ground, just an eerie silence. The attackers face went from that of triumph to wide eyed shock, his eyes transfixed on a hand which held the bullet a few inches from Wayne's face.

The man's body was solidly built; his muscles could be seen under the form fitting suit. The majority of his outfit was blue, over his blue tights he wore red short pants which were held on by a gold belt. He wore red boots which were sloped high in the front, a matching red cape flapped in the breeze behind him. On his chest was a red "S" emblazoned on a gold background within a five sided figure. With a single glance Chloe instantly recognized the man standing before her.

"Superman," she whispered.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The armed man quickly changed his aim to Superman, wasting several bullets before he realized that it was of no use. In a desperation attempt he reached out and pulled the closest person to him, placing the gun to their temple. Unfortunately the closest person turned out to be Chloe, she screamed in panic as the barrel of the gun was shoved to her head. "What ya gonna do Supes," taunted the man.

Superman took a slow step forward; the assassin in turn locked the gun in place ready to fire. "Uh uh, not so close. Don't even flinch; I don't care how fast ya are. Ya ain't gonna stop this bullet in time."

Chloe could feel the hot tears flowing down her face. She was scared, something she hadn't been in a very long time. She began to shake uncontrollably, the tears coming faster, refusing to stop. Her heart pounded in her head, in one brief moment her entire life flashed before her eyes. While this was occurring something unexpected popped into her mind, a person she could always count on to be there for her, Clark Kent. She flashed back to all the times that he had gone out of his way to help her; she then remembered that look in his eyes. It was the look of pure solid determination; it was the same look that was in Superman's eyes.  
She inhaled sharply as realization played upon her, all the things that she had seen Clark do, all the times that he had saved Pete, Lana, and herself. Finally those things were beginning to make sense to her; she looked deeply into Superman's eyes, a look of confusion on her face. The man of steel slowly nodded his head in admission, Clark Kent was Superman.

Superman's eyes began to glow red, his gaze fixed on the man's weapon. Chloe could feel intense heat hitting the side of her face, the next thing she realized the would-be assassin had thrown his weapon away and was shaking his hand in pain. Taking his chance Superman rushed at the assassin; in a blink of an eye both he and the assassin were gone.

There was a shocked silence over the crowd, each person tried to regain their composure. Chloe was still in shock of what just happened, jumping when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Slowly she turned around and looked up into the man's face; it had not changed much over the last nine years. His eyes were still the same cobalt blue she remembered, one thing did bother her. The skin around his eyes had tightened, as if he had seen to many tragedies, too many horrors than he cared to witness.

Her eyes saddened a little as tears began to flow once more, she tried to speak but found that her voice was failing. Managing to smile weakly, she wrapped her arms around him and held on as if her life depended on it. His arms slowly folded around her, she felt safe in his arms. No matter what troubled her, she knew that there was one person she could always depend on, Clark Kent.

He looked around as the crowd of journalist began to disperse; security guards were escorting people while Wayne's assistants urged him back into the building. Chloe let go of Clark, finally getting a hold of herself, she looked up at Clark and smiled brightly at him. "Long time no see, huh, Kent?"

Clark shook his head, a grin on his face. "Yeah, it has. How've you been?"

"Obviously not as well as you have," she said half jokingly. She lowered her head, biting her lip as a hundred thought ran through her mind. "You know, it all makes sense now. It's just sad that it took me so long to piece everything together."

Clark sighed deeply, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. "I guess we have a lot of catching up to do, but here's not the best place for it. I know a great coffee shop, it's quiet and it will give us plenty of privacy so we can talk."

Chloe slowly nodded her head; a large dose of caffeine would do wonders for her right about now. "So," she said getting some her vitality back, "where is this great little coffee shop at?"

Clark gave her one of his famous lady-killer smiles, a slight gleam in his eye showed his good natured humor. "Smallville," he said in a deadpan voice. "You ready?"

Chloe shook her head and laughed in spite of herself. "Sure," she said with a slight grin. Clark scanned the surrounding area making sure that no one was watching, taking Chloe in his arms he shot off into the early evening sky.

The sudden acceleration made Chloe's head spin, before she knew it she was soaring above the clouds. Words couldn't describe how felt; it was a moment of wonder and of total freedom. The wind in her hair and face exhilarated her, for just a single moment she was able to suspend belief and see the world as it truly was. Looking up, she saw a look of pure joy on Clark's face. 'I was right,' she thought to herself. 'His head always was in the clouds, but who could blame him.'

The flight came to an end too quickly in Chloe's mind, landing in a small side street near the center of town. Clark placed Chloe gently on the ground, a wide smile on her face. "That was amazing, did you feel the same way the first time you discovered you could fly."

Clark shook his head and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah. The total freedom of mobility, going anywhere you please, nothing to stop you but your imagination."

Chloe began to walk to the mouth of the alley, looking over the small town that she had once called home. Nothing had changed much over the last nine years, Smallville still had its nostalgic charm. A timeless piece of Americana that could never grow old, something that reminded Chloe of old television shows. Yet somehow, no matter how many times she had traversed these streets, it still had a certain appeal to it. Wholesome, decent, it reminded her of values and ideals that were long abandoned by the rest of the world. It was nice to see a place that still held on to such values and one man trying to do the same.

They began to stroll down the street, reminiscing about the times they had from years prior, losing themselves in the past. They stopped at one building in particular, an old brick and mortar movie theater. Small circular tables were set up outside the building for people to sit and enjoy themselves in the early springtime weather. Inside, a few patrons were scattered about the coffee shop. Sitting in an empty corner they waited for a server to take their order, they made themselves comfortable as they waited.

Chloe looked around at the inside of the building; hieroglyphics bordered the walls near the ceiling. The walls were a sand color; the floor tiles a matching off-white. It gave the building a feeling of being older than it actually was, like most things in Smallville it had strong roots in the past.

"It's nice to see that some things haven't changed over the last couple of years. How did Lana manage to keep The Talon after Lex began to distance himself from the rest of us?"

"Well," a familiar voice broke in, "let's just say that it took a lot of work to get him not to tear the place down." The face had not changed much over the years; she still managed to keep her perpetual smile and jubilance. Her brown hair was pulled into a loose bun, simple yet elegant at the same time. The girl next door qualities that defined Lana Lang to a tee, wholesome and decent just like the town.

"Lana," Chloe said as she stood up to hug her. "It's so good to see you, how have you been?" She let go of her and moved in the booth to offer her a place to sit down.

Lana let out a long sigh as she sat, her eyes fixed on the Talon, a place she worked so hard to restore to keep the memory of her parents. "I've got nothing I can complain over; the town on the other hand is a different matter. Something big is a bout to happen to Smallville, and it may not be for the best."


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 3  
  
Lana's voice had dropped to a low, hoarse whisper. Her head lowered as she clasped her hands together, a slight frown etched into her soft features. There was a pause that hung in the air, thick and heavy, almost an entity in its own. She looked across the table to Clark, who in turn slowly nodded his head quietly urging her on. "Luthor," she began quietly, "he wants to tear apart Smallville so he can continue to search for more meteor rocks."  
  
Chloe was stunned, the weight of Lana's words rest uncomfortably in her mind. There were so many questions that needed to be answered, questions with answers she might not like. She looked across the table to Clark; he had remained quiet enough that Chloe almost forgot that he was there. His brow was furrowed in thought, slowly realization dawned upon him.  
  
"It all makes sense now," he said slowly. His voice was hollow, lacking the emotions that made him who he was. His eyes seemed to flicker in the low light of the building; removing his glasses he rubbed his eyes and the bridge of his nose.  
  
Lana placed a hand over his and squeezed it reassuringly, "Clark what makes sense, if you can find some logic in this believe me we're dying to know."  
  
"Lana, I have to go check on something, can you meet us at my parents house later tonight around nine o'clock?" There was a hushed urgency in his tone, his jaw was set solidly in grim determination. Lana slowly nodded her head, her eyes locked with his for the briefest of moments. "I'll be right over after I close up for the night. Clark, what's the matter?"  
  
He rested his glasses on the bridge of his nose; his blue eyes seemed to be a bit darker than normal. "I'll tell you later tonight," he said distantly. Lana nodded once more then stood up, looking back once more at Clark, her almond shape eyes were slanted in sadness.  
  
Chloe placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, a slight smile on her face. "Clark, are you alright?"  
  
He nodded as he stood up, Chloe could feel that there was something he wasn't sharing. She followed him out of the Talon, going back to the same alley they landed in. Clark faced the end of the alley, his back to Chloe. There were things that need to be said but he wasn't sure how to go about them. Chloe placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice a soft whisper. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."  
  
He nodded slowly; his words were low and subdued. "He knows, Chloe. He knows I'm Superman. That's the only reason he's threatening to tear apart Smallville, he's using the town to get to me."  
  
Chloe was now thoroughly confused; there were too many pieces of the puzzle that didn't match up properly. She began to pace back and forth in the alleyway, trying to make sense of what little pieces of information she had. "Oh my god," she quietly, "Lex knows."  
  
Clark nodded silently his eyes darkened by the somber mood, "I have to go to my parent's house to check on a few things, I don't expect I can convince you to stay here? Right, I should have known better."  
  
"Face it Kent, you're stuck with me till we get to the bottom of this, it'll be just like old times." She smiled as she tried to change the atmosphere, "and besides now I have legitimate proof that Smallville is Wall of Weird material."  
  
He sighed heavily as he gathered her in his arms preparing for the short flight to his parents home. "It took you a better part of nine years to finally figure that out, I could have told you that. But then again, I'm an alien."  
  
The fight to the Kent farm was short, lasting only about a few seconds; it was still fast enough to make Chloe's head spin once more. Arriving behind the red barn and hay loft which Clark had made his Fortress of Solitude when he was younger, Chloe was amazed at how well kept the farm was.  
  
The Kent farm was one of the major staples to Smallville, sprawling for several acres. Like most things in the small town it was family owned and operated, passed down from generation to generation. Living mostly off the land the Kents farm was their main source of income, who knows how the Luthor's plant to take over Smallville might affect them. Chloe sighed; once again a Luthor had managed to take away another bright point in her life.  
  
They walked to the front door of the Kent home, the musty smell of wood gave the home a uniqueness all its own. The front room was well kept, a small sofa and several chairs encompassed a coffee table which had a variety of magazines arranged neatly on it. The house had a warm glow about it in the light of the setting sun; golden orange colors highlighted the finished wood. The house had a euphoric feel to it, not a home that was built but rather born and aged to perfection like a fine wine.  
  
Clark smiled slightly as he looked about the house, Chloe could see that he seemed relieved for the time being. The weight of being the worlds champion had been lifted from his shoulders, to Chloe that was the real Clark Kent.  
  
Chloe made herself comfortable on the sofa leafing through the assortment of magazines. They were mostly magazines on organic farming and living, occasionally there were a few art magazines. They were greeted a few moments later by a petite woman, her strawberry blond hair was mixed with some grey. Her green eyes sparkled warmly at her son, smile lines ebbed from the corner of her eyes. Quickly crossing the room, she wrapped Clark in a hug.  
  
"Clark, I wasn't expecting you to come home for dinner till Friday. I was upstairs sewing a cape onto a new uniform for you when I heard a noise down." she trailed off as she noticed that Chloe was sitting on the couch listening with rapt attention. She glanced back to Clark confusion evident on her face.  
  
"It's okay Mom, she already knows. Besides, I'm not ashamed to say that my mother still dresses me." Clark's eyes gleamed mischievously for a brief moment, the sparkle slowly faded as he remembered what he came to accomplish. "Mom, is Dad around? I need to speak with him, it's kind of important."  
  
Martha took a second to think, "He should be out in the field checking on the soil for planting this season. What's the matter?"  
  
His eyes narrowed frustration, "I think that Luthor is trying to take over Smallville, knowing him if it a means to an end.he won't hesitate in using a person's weakness."  
  
A/N: Don't worry I'm still chomping at the bit, but I may take a break from this story to write an interlude to it. I'm planning to explain what is that makes Lex go over to the dark side, don't worry I'm gonna finish this one. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter 4  
  
The dinner had been good; there was something more satisfying about a home cooked meal. In Chloe's busy schedule she didn't have time for such luxuries, she barely had time to eat some days. Clark had insisted on helping his mother clear the dishes while Jonathan went to the barn to close up for the night. Chloe sat and watched as Clark washed, dried, and put away the dishes at super speed, his mother smirking at the frivolous use of his powers.  
  
"So this is how you managed to do your chores and managed to still have a social life." Clark chuckled lightly then continued to put away his last dish; crossing the threshold to the dining room he took a seat across from Chloe. "I'm still hurt Clark," she said quietly. "But it all makes sense now, all the feats you did in high school, the fact that you were at ninety percent of the crime scenes in Smallville history."  
  
She sighed dejectedly; placing her elbows on the table she began to rub her temples furiously. Clark sighed heavily, the table shifting under his movement. "I wanted to tell you in high school."  
  
"But why didn't you," she said quietly. Her words were thick with hurt and scorn, her eyes red with tears that were barely held back. Clark swallowed heavily, his attention diverted footsteps that emanated from his living room. Chloe's gazed fixed from Clark to Lana as she walked into the dining room slowly, her steps slow as if she was unsure to intrude upon the two.  
  
"Am I interrupting something," she queried politely. Her liquid brown eyes shone warmly at the two in an attempt to diffuse the tense atmosphere. She still wore her coffee stained apron under her jacket, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail with a few strands covering her right eye.  
  
"No, it's okay. Clark and I were just having a discussion about the past, we're done now." Her words were cold; she took pleasure in seeing Clark wince. Lana remained quiet for several long moments, her gaze shifting between the two of them. Finally Clark was the one to break the silence.  
  
"Lana, thanks for coming over," he said as he stood up offering his chair to her. He waited for her to sit and make her self comfortable before continuing, "I was able to speak to Pete today. He's working at STAR Labs as the head geological consultant in reference to Kryptonite. It was Pete who first gave me the heads up on the story; from there I was able to trace it back to LexCorp to confirm it."  
  
Chloe took in the information letting it process in her brain, "that's all well and good Clark, but what does this have to do with anything?"  
  
"I'm getting to that," he sighed and removed his glasses placing them on the table. "It turns out that our friend Lex called Pete to his office for a one-on-one meeting, there Lex tried to bribe Pete for all his information concerning Kryptonite and Smallville. Pete flat out refused him then stormed out of the office; by the time he got back to his home everything on his research had been taken. All his samples of Kryptonite, both red and green, and his notes were likewise stolen from his office at STAR Labs."  
  
Lana and Chloe both remained quiet as Clark continued, "That explains why Lex is so intent on completely digging up Smallville, but does he have the means to do so?"  
  
"I doubt it," Chloe said. "This town knows that Luthor was the scourge of Smallville, I don't think they'll let it go without a fight."  
  
"That's where things become worse, it turns out that a government Haz- Mat team came to Wayne Guyrich's farm just down the road. He said that they left with a full truck load of materials which kept in large lead boxes labeled, 'Radioactive.' If I miss my guess, I have to say that he and the government are working together on this one so it might be harder to stop him." He pulled a piece of paper from off the dining room table, looking over it carefully. "It says here that they conducted something similar a few weeks ago. at Schuster's Field."  
  
"Oh my god," Lana gasped. Chloe turned to her, hopefully looking to gain some understanding. Lana and Clark exchanged a brief glance, Clark slowly nodded his head.  
  
"What are you not telling me?" Chloe hated to be left out of the loop, all three of them were in this together it wasn't fair that they kept secrets from her. She glared at the two of them, annoyance in her features. "I think I have a right to know."  
  
Lana conceded and nodded her head, her eyes never leaving the table top. She clasped her hand in front of her, "You're right, you do. It's just that right before graduation we wanted to get rid of the space ship that brought Clark to Earth. We thought if there was no evidence then no one could connect Clark to being an alien if anyone ever stumbled on his secret. We tried everything and nothing seemed to work on it. Finally we just decided to bury it, the three of us, me, Clark, and Pete."  
  
"So you're telling me that both you and Pete knew about Clark and didn't bother to tell me? I thought we had put keeping secrets in the past, but I see I was wrong." She scoffed and folded her arms, Chloe felt betrayed. Her own friends didn't think enough of her to trust her with their own secrets. 'But who could blame them,' she thought, 'I spent most of high school trying to find out what made Smallville so weird.' She sighed and softened her features, her mind focusing to that task at hand.  
  
"Chloe," Clark said softly. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you, if anything it was the total opposite. I wasn't ready to tell anyone in high school, I didn't know anything about where I came from or what I was. I was scared and desperate looking for answers that were too hard to find, from her on out nothing is off limits. You're a part of this now, I trust you; please do the same for me."  
  
There was a long silence between the three of them, each one unsure how to proceed. Finally it was Clark to break the silence, "Since were on the subject of being completely honest, I should tell you two something. I think I know why Lex was searching in Schuster's Field."  
  
Lana and Chloe both gave Clark a quizzical look. "What were they looking for Clark?" Chloe asked her voice in total seriousness. She had decided to put her feelings and hurt aside for the moment, this issue was too big to let high school jealousies jade her judgment.  
  
"When I came to Earth, my ship was an almost alive; it knew what it had to do in order to protect itself. There was a piece that came with it, an octagonal disk; I believe that disk was the heart of the ship. It was like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle waiting to be put into place. Before graduation I decided it was best to hide the key so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, at that time Lionel Luthor."  
  
"So you buried the key in the last place that you thought that anyone would look in," Lana deduced. Clark reassured her with a single nod of his head. "Schuster's Field" A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to put up this chapter, I just got so busy. I'll admit it, this chapter has a bit of ennui but I promise the best is yet to come. 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
In the inky darkness of the night a cold wet fog rolled across Chloe's leg prompting an obligatory shudder from her. Her eyes squinted to see through the preternatural darkness which had surrounded her; the absence of light began to make her imagination go wild. A twig broken by her footsteps made her tense, a croaking frog in the distance made her cringe, it wasn't until a hand touched her shoulder when her heart completely stopped for what had seem like an eternity. After a few seconds she had managed to regain her composure and force her breathing back to normal. Turning around she pointed the beam of her flashlight into Clark's face, "Don't do that again Kent. I don't care how invulnerable you are, I'll kill you myself."  
  
Feeling brave, he gave her a half smile, "You said you wanted to hold the flashlight, which means you'd have to lead. Besides, you didn't have to come out here with me, you insisted."  
  
Chloe muttered several words under her breath, "I thought you didn't need a flashlight to see in the dark, doesn't one of your superpowers cover that?"  
  
Chloe watched as Clark's eyes looked skyward behind his glasses as he began to count-off his superpowers mentally. "Nope, no night-light vision, although that would be pretty handy."  
  
Chloe arched an eyebrow at the Man of Steel, "Clark, are you feeling alright? You seem to be in a completely different mood than usual."  
  
Clark simply shrugged in his usual farm boyish demeanor, "I just feel a little more comfortable around people who know I'm Superman. Most of the time I have to stay aloof from people because I can't be partial to anyone, Superman can't have friends." His eyes saddened some at the thought of his own words, "I wish Superman could take a holiday, just once."  
  
Chloe couldn't think of anything to say, nothing that could change the somber mood. Deciding that saying nothing would be the best choice she continued to walk once more. They remained silent for several moments longer; it was she who broke the silence. "How much further is it?"  
  
"I think this is it," Clark removed his glasses and stared at the ground. "It's here; I can see the outline of the box the key is in, stand back." He handed his glasses to Chloe and waited for her to take several steps back. Looking around, he began to hover several inches off the ground; twisting at the hip he began a spin at blurring speeds. He drilled into the ground, loose patches of dirt and earth flying out in each direction. The dust soon settled and Clark's voice came from the hole, "I found it."  
  
He began to hover out of the hole, his clothes and face covered in dirt; in his hands he held an antique looking, small metal chest. Shaking his hair out he handed her the chest, despite its relatively small size it had a large amount of mass to it. "This thing weighs a ton. What is it made out of, lead?"  
  
"Uh, yeah it is actually. It's weird, it's the only thing that protects me from kryptonite. I wish I had a suit made of it, would have did a lot of good back in high school."  
  
She nodded in silence, unsure of what to say. They continued to make their way towards Lana's car, one of the few sources of light along the small worn dirt road. Once they had returned Lana greeted them with a question, "Did you find the box?"  
  
Chloe looked to Clark who in turn nodded his head in affirmation. "Yeah, it was there. It's odd, I thought I buried it a little deeper, but maybe I was wrong." He shrugged his shoulders, the small cloud of dust around him made visible by Lana's headlights. "Do you think the Haz-Mat team made it made out that far?"  
  
Chloe shook her head, "I don't think so. They would have bagged and tagged anything that they would have found of interest, and I definitely think a lead box of stuff would have made their radar go off." She yawned lightly and excused herself, "So, what's in the box anyway?"  
  
She knew she was going to have to ask the question eventually, she thought it would be better if she asked now than having to find out later in some shocking realization. She saw the hesitation in Clark and Lana's eyes, a brief moment where they questioned if they could trust her. As brief as it was, the moment did not lack in intensity. Finally, Clark turned the box to her, the small clasp lock pointing in her direction. "Go ahead, open it."  
  
Chloe was speechless, for a girl who always spoke her mind this was quite an accomplishment that only he could do. Her hands slowly reached out for the box, both of her thumbs taking the clasp and pulling it open. The three objects inside seemed to glow with their own inner light, one she recognized as the class ring, the blood red stone pulsating a low light. Second was a small green gem like rock, it also pulsed with an inner light which seemed to match the rhythm of the red stone. Yet the third was unfamiliar to her, sitting in-between the two other objects was a small metallic octagonal disc, which in her eyes seemed to continually glow with a soft white light.  
  
She slowly removed her eyes from the objects, looking up at Clark; his breathing became heavier as his face was covered in a light sheen of sweat. He swallowed heavily as he closed the box, once the lid was closed he took a deep breath.  
  
She turned and looked at Lana, her head was lowered toward the ground trying not to look at the sight of Clark in pain. Chloe wished that she had done the same; in her mind it did not feel right to see Clark in such obvious hurt. She only wished that he didn't have to endure it for her own petty curiosity. She looked up at Clark who had seemed better now that the lid was closed, but she could tell that he was still weak and barely managed to hide it.  
  
"What do we do now?" Chloe asked, breaking the long and uneasy silence.  
  
Clark managed to give her a half smile, still looking pale from exposure to the Kryptonite. "You're an investigative journalist, investigate." 


End file.
